Monday, May 28, 2012

Siegel and Shuster action figures (mail-in bonus: Bill Finger!)

Over the last fifteen years, the range of action figures produced has diversified in wild ways, in part thanks to companies like McFarlane Toys, NECA, and Accoutrements. It's not just G.I. Joe and Star Wars anymore:

Because of this, and because of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman and Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, I was inspired to pitch the idea of superhero creator action figures, starting, of course, with Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and Bill Finger. Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde got the nod, so why not some 20th century creatives with significant cultural impact?

Action figures are traditionally a province of superheroes, so it’s a no-brainer both thematically and strategically to give creators of some of these characters the same treatment. Plus such figures could be put to good use beyond pleasing fanboys.

Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and their families have been involved in litigation over Superman on and off since 1947; Bill Finger never got that far. A portion of proceeds of figures made of them could go toward legal fees or simply into a fund for the heirs. Would not be big money, but every little bit helps.

4 comments:

This is a great idea. Stan Lee already had his turn as an action figure, so it would be only fair to give some other significant creators their due. If the line specifically focused on comic creators of the Golden Age, and included Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as well as Siegel and Shuster and Finger, that would really be something.

(Narrowing the focus to specify the Golden Age is a necessity to forestall the carping about "why isn't so-and-so there, he's much more famous than those old guys!" Otherwise you'll end up with a Rob Liefeld action figure pushing the others aside and the whole point will be lost. The Image guys could be given their own separate lineup of action figures if necessary.)

Odkin, I always appreciate your readership but this comment is intolerant. Superheroes of all sexual orientations (and races) are welcome on this blog. By the way, headline-baiting aside, I think Bill Finger would've been at peace with this decision; his only son was gay.

* Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman got multiple starred reviews and made the front page of USA Today.* Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman led to a TED talk; was covered by NPR's All Things Considered, Today Show, New York Times, Forbes; made best-of-the-year lists at USA Today, Washington Post, MTV.

Upcoming books:

* Thirty Minutes Over Oregon (nonfiction picture book about the unprecedented accomplishment of a Japanese WWII pilot)* The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra (fiction picture book)* TBA 1* TBA 2

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